Misunderstandings
by Shiroikami
Summary: A sequel to "Imaginary Friend". Jareth promised that he would be there for Sarah. Sarah promised to never forget him. So why did neither of them seem to remember? Takes place during the movie.
1. A Quick Explanation

It took me awhile to figure out how I wanted to tell this story. I knew that if I wrote a sequel to "Imaginary Friend," it would have to be a retelling of the actual Labyrinth story in order to answer the big question of "who forgot?"

In the end, I decided two things. First, that I would have to break my usual, easy pattern of writing one-shots and write a chapter fic. And second that each chapter would have to be from two points of view, Jareth's and Sarah's.

So that said, I've set each chapter up with two chapter titles. The first title is Sarah's title, and the second is Jareth's title. Every chapter is the same scene told twice, from two different points of view, Sarah's, then Jareth's. Because of the timing of the story, Sarah's POV will tend to be a little stiffer, since I'm working around the existing dialogue and action from the movie. Likewise, Jareth's POV will be a bit more flow-y since he's so enigmatic in the movie that he could be thinking anything.

I tried to keep as close to the actual dialogue and progression of the movie as I could, and any omissions were for the sake of the art and my sanity. So without any further ado, I give you "Misunderstandings."


	2. Chapter 1  The Bedroom

**Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth. All dialogue taken directly from the movie is merely for the enhancement of the storytelling experience. I am not making any money from this.**

Chapter 1: I Wish the Goblins Would Take You Away/Forget About the Baby

**Sarah**

"Oh, I wish the goblins _would_ take you away. Right now!" Sarah told her baby brother in annoyance. If only he would just stop crying! And wonder of wonders, no sooner had she stepped outside his room, than the crying stopped abruptly. Too abruptly. Frowning, the girl turned back and flipped the light switch up and down a couple times, growing concerned when it didn't turn on.

"Toby?" she asked the darkened room as she made her way over to the crib. Was that giggling coming from behind her stepmother's vanity? "Toby?" she asked again, an edge of panic working its way into her voice as she pulled back the blanket to find… nothing. Nothing! How could Toby be gone?

Out of the corner of Sarah's eye, something moved. A shadow ducking behind the bed. _Just the shadow of the tree outside, _she told herself. Something slamming the lid of the old chest at the foot of the bed. _It's probably a mouse._ So it was no surprise that she jumped and spun, her heart pounding as something battered itself against the French windows once, twice, three times, before a gust of wind blew them open. _Dad just forgot to shut them tightly again._

The something turned out to be an owl, which flew at her face causing her to throw her arms up to protect herself. The next thing she knew the owl was gone, and there was someone standing in front of her, silhouetted by the eerie light of the rising storm.

"Who… who are you?" she asked when she finally found her voice. Was that disappointment that flashed across his face before he answered? "You know who I am, Sarah." Such a familiar voice, but where had she heard it before? She frowned, trying to remember, but for some reason all she could think of was her beloved, battered play, _The Labyrinth_. Maybe that was why she answered as she did.

"You're him, aren't you. You're the Goblin King!" Another fleeting expression as she answered, something like regret. "I want my brother back, if it's all the same."

"What's said is said." The stranger, no, the Goblin King, told her. Damn it, _where_ had she heard that voice before? And where had she heard that line? _Wait._ She thought, even as she heard herself implore the Goblin King that she hadn't meant what she said. _This _is _familiar._ She almost knew, almost had it, but then – "Sarah, go back to your room, play with your toys and your costumes. Forget about the baby."

She lost her train of thought at the blatant condescension in those words. He thought she was just a little girl! Play with her toys? She was sixteen! She was almost an adult, and she was supposed to be _responsible_ for her half-brother. How could she just _forget_ about him? "I can't."

This time the flickering expression on the king's face was coolly annoyed as he pulled a crystal from the air. "I've brought you a gift."

_A gift? Why would he bring me a gift?_ Sarah wondered, but even so, she couldn't help but ask; "What is it?"

"It's a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way, and look into it, it will show you your dreams." He told her. _Someone's said that to me before_, Sarah realized. _And I've seen that trick with the crystal ball somewhere too._ Where had it been? When was it? Why couldn't she remember? Oblivious to her inner turmoil, the Goblin King had continued talking. _He's insulting me again._ A part of her mind informed her.

"I can't. It's not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I want my brother back. He must be so scared…" the words tumbled from her lips before he interrupted her. "Sarah. Don't defy me." The words were harsh, although the tone was still cool. Detatched. Even as he turned the crystal into a snake and threw it at her. _He wasn't always this cruel._ She thought. Then realized, _how would I know that? I've never seen this… man… before tonight!_ There was something familiar and unnerving about the Goblin King. She ought to know.

"You're no match for me, Sarah." He told her, but she shook her head. "But I have to have my brother back."

With a faint sigh, and a slightly put-upon expression the king pointed out the window. "He's there. In my castle." And when Sarah went to look, there was indeed a castle, surrounded by an enormous sprawling maze. _A maze? No, not a maze. A labyrinth. Just like… but it couldn't be, could it?_ "Is that… the Castle Beyond the Goblin City?" she asked. She had to be sure. But of course the damned Goblin King couldn't give a straight answer. That wasn't part of the script. "Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's too late."

And so, "I can't. Don't you understand that I can't?" she told him, and thought she saw that same flash of regret from earlier. "Such a pity." He said, although she didn't think he quite meant it as she stared out over the expanse. "It doesn't look so far." She murmured, mostly to herself, so she was surprised when the king answered.

"It's further than you think, and time is short. You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth, before your baby brother becomes one of us… forever. Such a pity." The king told her as he vanished from sight. Then he was gone, and Sarah was alone on a desolate hilltop. _Well, I may as well get started. This maze won't solve itself._

**Jareth**

In the years since Jareth's father had died, and he had assumed the throne of the Goblin Kingdom, Jareth had almost never been bored. If the goblins or the border fiefs weren't making trouble, some foolish human was wishing or wanting or asking "oh please oh please won't someone take my baby away because it's ruining my perfect life." It made Jareth sick sometimes, but he always granted the wishes. He always offered the game, but even those who accepted it, which most people didn't, never won. Quite frankly, it was tedious and predictable.

Worse, in recent years he'd begun to feel like something was missing. Something important that he'd once known, but had now forgotten. Not knowing was driving him crazy. Crazier. Whatever.

He was brooding on the missing something when he felt the tug that meant that someone was getting ready to wish. With a sigh he signaled the goblins to go ahead and listen for the words, while he himself transformed to his owl form and transported himself nearby to the location.

When he got there, something struck him. Not physically, but mentally, emotionally. There was something familiar about this place. Had he answered a wish-away here before? But it didn't matter now, the signal had come from the goblins. They'd heard the words, taken the child, and were terrorizing the wisher. It was the king's turn. So with a flap of wings the color of moonlight he headed towards the door-like windows on the second floor of the house, battering against them for a moment before pushing them open with a burst of magic.

He flew at the girl standing in the middle of the room, backing off and transforming once her eyes were covered. It was more intimidating to not let the wisher see the transformation, but rather for him to unnerve them first, and then to completely terrify them with his appearance in full regalia.

"Who… who are you?" the girl asked, her voice trembling, and Jareth suppressed a smirk. It never failed. "You know who I am, Sarah." _Her name is Sarah?_ _More than that, she knows who I am? Why would I say that?_ It was certainly odd.

"You're him, aren't you. You're the Goblin King!" Apparently she did know him, or at least his title. But why did hearing that title from her twist something in his chest?

"I'd like my brother back, if it's all the same." Of course she did. Didn't they all? "What's said is said." He informed her, wishing that it weren't. But he couldn't afford to go soft over one girl. So he hardened his heart, taunting her. "Go back to your room and play with your toys and your costumes." He told her. "Forget about the baby."

Clearly it was the wrong thing to say. A spark lit in the girl's, Sarah's, eyes, and she lifted her face to meet his eyes. "I can't." she told him. Like that was it.

Something flickered at the back of his mind. A buried memory of a girl in a park, laughing, talking about… gifts. Ah, that was it. The way he would distract the girl from asking about her brother again. For some reason that irritated him more than it should have. Exerting a bit of will, he pulled a crystal from the air and held it out to her.

"I've brought you a gift." He told her. He could see the curiosity in her eyes as she gazed at it. "What is it?" she asked after a moment, and he smiled. "It's a crystal, nothing more. But if you turn it this way and look into it, it will show you your dreams." _Because you've lost the last one._ Jareth almost frowned. Last one? Had he given this girl a dream crystal before? That seemed unlikely, although tonight seemed to be a night for unlikely things.

Even as he tried to figure things out for himself, he could see the girl's, _Sarah's_ his subconscious reminded him rather forcefully, resolve solidifying. She wouldn't take the crystal.

"I can't. It's not that I don't appreciate what you're trying to do for me, but I want my brother back. He must be so scared…" Again with the brother! Why couldn't she focus on what was right in front of her? Spitefully he transformed the crystal into a snake, stretching it between his gloved hands. "Sarah, don't defy me." He spat as he tossed the snake at her, turning it into a scarf a moment after it touched her. It was petty and childish, but it made him feel slightly better. It served her right for only wanting to talk about her brother. _And why should she want to talk about anything else? We've never met before tonight!_ His conscious reminded his subconscious, even as his subconscious protested his handling of the girl.

"You're no match for me, Sarah." He told her. He didn't want her to hurt, and if she fought him, then she would certainly get hurt. But even as he spoke she was shaking her head. "But I have to have my brother back."

Clearly she could only think about her brother, so with a sigh, Jareth moved to one side and gestured out the window. He's there. In my castle." He told her, pointing. She looked confused, and then surprised. "Is that… the Castle Beyond the Goblin City?" she asked, but there was a script for this. The time for questions was over. The game was beginning.

"Turn back, Sarah. Turn back before it's too late." He said, as he had said to every other runner. Some of them did turn back, but somehow he knew that Sarah wouldn't. And she didn't disappoint him. "I can't. Don't you understand that I can't?" No, of course she couldn't. "Such a pity." He said, even as another memory half-surfaced.

_"I bet I could solve it." The little girl sitting next to Jareth said. "I'm real good at mazes…"_

Jareth blinked. When had that happened? Surely that girl wasn't Sarah? As he moved closer to her he heard her say something under her breath. "It doesn't look so far." He grinned inwardly. "It's further than it looks, and time is short." He told her, further amused by her surprise at finding him right behind her. He backed off slightly and conjured the game clock. "You have thirteen hours in which to solve the Labyrinth, before your baby brother becomes one of us… forever." He said, fading in a slow transportation so that his last words would echo after her. "Such a pity."


End file.
